[Sabrish]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Aspiring Rider owners can take inspiration from this nicely modified Rapid - given the Carbon steel colour and halogen headlamps.

It won't be expensive to convert the base model to a looker as well - with a nice set of alloys and some chrome delete treatment.

Source

Attachment 2022741

Attachment 2022743

I pretty much did the same mods Albeit on the white variant. The fear of evidently visible swirl marks and small scratches put me off the carbon steel variant.

Plus the White one turned out to look nice too with the mods.

Coming to the riding experience, the 3 pot mill will show its characteristics however its very bearable and like GTO mentioned in his review, the engine begs to be driven hard!

Surprisingly the fuel efficiency is between 13-14 in city which I did not expect. I have not taken her on the highway yet so cannot comment on the highway returns.

Rider has hit the ball out of the park for motorists who wish to have a good ride plus catering the need to own a proper Sedan on a shoestring budget (reference to the C segment Sedans and their cost)

Somehow I see a difference in perspective on the maintenance of Skoda's, only time will tell as I don't foresee a huge ownership cost waiting for me in the years to come.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Aspiring Rider owners can take inspiration from this nicely modified Rapid...

Looks mean but maybe too much blacked out?

Would hate to come around a blind corner on a typical narrow KL road/highway, and suddenly find this parked with lights off.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Aspiring Rider owners can take inspiration from this nicely modified Rapid - given the Carbon steel colour and halogen headlamps (although this is an older 1.5 TDi)
Attachment 2022743

Looks great, except for the fact that the Skoda logo could have been left alone. Now it looks like a car from which the logos have been stolen

Really like the Alloys and the Rear Spoiler.

[steadfast]

Originally Posted by GTO

If you are able to keep it under 6,500 rpm on an empty road like this, please ping me & I'll send you a lifetime achievement award

I believe this new VW 1.0 TSI engine belongs to same family of 1.0 TSI engine which was awarded the Best International Engine for its category in 2018. Attaching the link for reference -
https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/...s-releases/224

If true, this engine is amongst the best in business globally.

[kamilharis]

Originally Posted by Sabrish

I pretty much did the same mods Albeit on the white variant.

We would love to see few latest pics of your car on this thread. Maybe a lot more in an ownership thread.

[NiInJa]

If I was in the market for a car with 9 lakh rupees in my pocket, I would take the base variant of Rapid any day based on this quick review by GTO. There are two Rapids in our parking and I just keep looking at them everytime I take my kid for a walk downstairs

[Sabrish]

Originally Posted by kamilharis

We would love to see few latest pics of your car on this thread. Maybe a lot more in an ownership thread.

Sure, I already added the pics in a different thread. Here is the Link for your reference:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4830079 (Would you buy the Skoda Rapid 1.0 (base trim) over similarly-priced Compact Sedans (higher trims)?)

[Pancham]

The Rider is giving me sleepless nights. My itch to skip a segment (or two) and upgrade to an Octavia (from a 2011 i20) is getting subsided by this. I will definitely lose out on a few features as compared to my 2011 i20 Asta but the price and fun to drive factor is just too hard to resist.

On a different note I was trying to figure out if the Ambition variant with a 2.75L difference makes sense. I think if you are planning to keep the car for a very long time and you have the budget and are upgrading from a feature packed Hyundai or something, you can probably think of stretching a bit and getting the Ambition variant. I have a feeling I may miss some of the features 4-5 years down the line. Nevertheless, it's a killer car with a killer engine and a close relative seems to be extremely satisfied with the Kolkata Skoda dealership. (details here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post4530435). Not sure what is in store for me.

P.S: Never imagined an aged Rapid could give me sleepless nights.

[vijayshouree]

Looks-wise, the Rider is similar to my Ambition 1.6(P) from 2017 minus the alloys and fog lights. I am so happy to hear a lot of positive reviews on 1.0 TSI and a good number of people buying it. It gives me that little more extra life to my rapid in terms of off the shelf parts and accessories availability for exterior and interiors.

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

I finally took delivery of my Rapid Rider 2 days back, or rather I would say Home Delivery.

Many congratulations Nishy. Hey, My Rapid is of same color, and white looks classy. The only thing that I can suggest you is to get some fog lights fitted and upgrade the lights to Osram or Philips and you are set. I have upgraded the DRLs to white LEDs as well. I don't remember the exact make as I did this in 2017.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Aspiring Rider owners can take inspiration from this nicely modified Rapid - given the Carbon steel colour and halogen headlamps (although this is an older 1.5 TDi).

Looks so sweet. In fact, I wanted to do the exact chrome delete as a mid-time facelift to my Rapid on her 3rd birthday (05-Apr). But due to the situation out here, the yearly maintenance service itself is due .

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Any new rider owner wanting to trade their non touch-screen system with my RCD 330+ Touchscreen, I am game

If you are based out of Hyderabad and interested in the exact unit but 3 years old. I am in for it. Also, I wish yours id the proper unit which came from the factory/showroom itself . Am I asking more..

[freakmuzik]

I never imagined the Skoda Rapid would ever not let me sleep. I have been reading reviews over reviews of the Skoda Rapid and VW Polo TSI and other related cars. Though there has been an itch to buy a new car, I have been pushing it as I did not find any car that ticked all the boxes under 10 lacs. I loved the Altroz but the engine wasn't good, I loved the Freestyle but it felt & was old. The Rapid with its killer engine, solid build, good space, ride & handling, decent features is literally pushing me to go take a test drive and make me buy a drivers car. I have been reading in and out about the maintenance costs, etc. I think if Skoda did this kind of marketing for every car of theirs, it would be an incredible feat. If a 10 year old Skoda Rapid could give us sleepless nights, there's nothing more to say. Anyways, i'm sure going to check this car out at the earliest and thanks to everyone who've contributed with their test drive and purchase experiences.

[tejascshetty]

Originally Posted by Sabrish

I pretty much did the same mods Albeit on the white variant. The fear of evidently visible swirl marks and small scratches put me off the carbon steel variant.

Plus the White one turned out to look nice too with the mods.

It was quite a decider for me as well having to chose between the White and Carbon Steel variants. Just saw your mods to your white Rider in the other thread. It looks like a real stunner. However, viewed under the showroom lights, the carbon steel just sealed the deal for me. I may regret it later, but for now the carbon steel is where i put my money on.

Originally Posted by Sabrish

Coming to the riding experience, the 3 pot mill will show its characteristics however its very bearable and like GTO mentioned in his review, the engine begs to be driven hard!

Surprisingly the fuel efficiency is between 13-14 in city which I did not expect. I have not taken her on the highway yet so cannot comment on the highway returns.

This is such a relief to hear. In the official AutoCar review, I was quite stunned to see the returned city fuel efficiency in the 7-8 kmpl range. Hopefully, if we drive with a slightly lighter foot in city commutes it should return decent FE figures. However, on the open roads, I think we will put FE figures at the back of our heads and just revv this car out to her max limits!

[aryamans15]

The Rapid with this new engine sure does seem like a delight. I’m only 15 and am not eligible to drive just yet clearly but it sure does seem like the Rapid has one of the better petrol engines in this segment. Though the new Verna Turbo and the new upcoming DOHC City 1.5 V-TEC could change things, it’s pretty hard to argue with the solid built quality and timeless design of the Rapid. I guess this engine is what keeps it alive still

[avishar]

I can't believe I am obsessed with a base variant Skoda Rapid in 2020. Absolutely obsessed. I am fantazing about owning one. New car launches have come and gone, Official Reviews left unread and here I am trawling through Youtube looking for Rapid Rider variant reviews.

[sjain2054]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just wanted to add that, the Rapid is my top choice for a Petrol MT, unless the upcoming 2020 Honda City is game-changing in any way. From what I've heard so far, it's more of the same thing...an improved City, but I cannot comment until I drive it.

Talking purely of engines, wouldn't the Etios 1.5 be better than this one? I am asking you because you have driven both. Is there a big difference and Rapid is better by a lot? The etios has the 4 cyl, eager, more reliable engine on a light body. On the face of it, it seems that its a better choice for engine lovers. What do you think?

[Endless....]

Test drove the rapid this weekend. A friend was looking for a 2nd car. I own a remapped 2017 1.6MPI. So all comparisons are from that perspective. My only other experience With turbos is with the 1.3 Ddis, remapped again. That being said, the the 1L turbo is sweet, as long as you drive with a lead foot. Rapid petrols have been noisy(in a good way) traditionally and so is this one. As compared to the 4 pot, the 3 pot does run out of breath sooner but that does not happen without some exciting drama on the wheels torque steer in the 2nd gear took me back to my times with the swift diesel and that’s a mean feat for a 3 pot carrying a full sized sedan, built well ! The gear box is slick and the clutch is light making shifting a breeze. The test car was a style with the 16 inch clubbers similar to what I have on my style LE. One thing that stood out though was the fact that they seemed to have stiffened up the suspension a bit, as compared to my existing ride. I found the new suspension set up better.

Coming to the interiors, it’s the same no-nonsense, utilitarian interiors that have been carried fwd. that’s not such a bad place to be in considering the fact that there will be that much less things falling apart. The steering and gear knob remain premium on the style variant and do look and feel the part. The audio system seemed like the same as the one I have, didn’t try it though. I am pretty happy with the stock audio set up on mine, don’t expect this to be any different. It works. Don’t expect to be blown away or experience audiophile quality. But the audio is crisp, no distortion and does a swell job of displaying content from the rear camera.

About the warranty and service package, take it, eyes shut. I haven’t spent a penny on servicing my ride in the 3 years I’ve owned it. This includes consumables. So far my skoda ASS experience has been exceptional. TAFE has done a stellar job, so far (insert applicable caveats here)

Other things to watch out for in case you consider the Rapid:
1. The base variant from my view point is only a party trick for the foot falls to walk into the door. Once in, you will find yourself buying at least an ambition. The base trim while spartan is certainly a better/ safer buy than any of those hatches out there. Period. (Exclude the polo please)
2. For those of you considering a wheel upgrade, skoda is finicky there. You will loose warranty for wheel upsize or tyre upsize. There isn’t a logic to it, get used to it, especially now that the car comes with a 6yr warranty. Mine came with 4 yrs. Mine came with 195 section MRF’s. Soon after delivery, I promptly replaced them with continental mc5 but stuck to 195 only. Handling/grip is great!
3. From what I was told this weekend, the red color is only available in the Monte Carlo trim unlike in the past. The base variant has only 2 plain Jane colors (yet classy) to choose from. However, if memory serves right, the Monte Carlos only have 2 air bags as opposed to the 4. This info may be dated, hence do double check.
4. The trumpet horns are NOT standard. The stock horns are effective and are made by hella but are not the trumpet. Skoda and the trumpet horns are made for each other, in my books
5. Which ever trim you buy, be prepared to shell out a handsome amount towards a ceramic coat. The factory paint job and build quality is phenomenal to start with, but a round of detailing will take it to a whole other level.

Happy motoring folks!

Here is a pic from last week.